How early to start SAT prep?

[Anonymous]

Do most kids start prepping for the SAT in middle school? Should you plan to have your 8th grader take the SAT to know where they stand?

[Anonymous]

No. Summer before junior year is ideal. If you start too early, they can burn out. Have them read real literature and nonfiction.

[Anonymous]

5th grade if you want to get above 1000

[Anonymous]

DS is a sophomore and I’ve just made him take the unit test on SAT math on Khan to see where he stands (don’t do that as a first step btw). I’ll have him do a practice test on Bluebook before the break is over, too. I also had him watch videos on how to use Desmos.
We are lucky that his verbal section is good enough as it is (730 out of 760 in PSAT) so it’s just math.
Once he gets his areas of strength and weakness he will do some prep on Khan for February break and another practice test.
April will be more practice and another test.
Summer is for a few hours of 1:1 prep just to get the tips and tricks, more practice, another practice test in August and then the real one in October. If that isn’t good enough there’s another chance in October senior year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5th grade if you want to get above 1000

Agree, 5th grade is the absolute latest to start prepping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do most kids start prepping for the SAT in middle school? Should you plan to have your 8th grader take the SAT to know where they stand?

Junior year is the best time to prep for SAT. Take PSAT in the fall. SAT in December.

[Anonymous]

If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.

[Anonymous]

Summer between 10th and 11th grade. Take in August, book a place to take again in Dec / Jan as back up. Cancel 2nd sitting if one and done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.

And if the kid is taking algebra 2 and trigonometry in junior year, when do you start?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.

And if the kid is taking algebra 2 and trigonometry in junior year, when do you start?

Winter junior year before the March test date. Leaves enough time for a retake if necessary. That used to be the “standard” timeline for kids applying to selective colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.

And if the kid is taking algebra 2 and trigonometry in junior year, when do you start?

Winter junior year before the March test date. Leaves enough time for a retake if necessary. That used to be the “standard” timeline for kids applying to selective colleges.

My kid used this standard timeline despite being “advanced” in math. Worked beautifully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the student has had Algebra 2 by sophomore year, then prepping summer before Jr is what my kids have done. One took the test in August, Dec, and then Sr year August and the 2nd kid took August and March of Jr year. The hope is to be done by December of Jr year, but as you can see neither of my kids hit that target. Jr year APs can be a lot and exams are in May so kids should consider pacing themselves.

That said, we weren’t chasing NMF. Those kids do probably start prepping much earlier.

I think most kids seeking NMSF prep the summer before junior year, take their first SAT in late August, then the PSAT on the regular school date. Our NMSF kid took one more SAT in November and was done.

[Anonymous]

My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?

[Anonymous]

DC prepared for a month during the summer after his sophomore year, took it right before school started, got a 1570, and stopped thinking about it there. It wasn't particularly arduous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My current sophomore will study over the summer and take it August before his senior year. Is there any reason for him to take it cold this June?

No reason to do that unless you want to demoralize him.